“Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” —Matthew 6:21
The Jewish Shema prayer is quoted by Jesus as the number-one commandment and first principle in fulfilling our reason for existing: Love God alone above all things, above everyone and everything. Put God first, and all else will fall into place. God’s personal love for you and me cannot stop or be shut off. Like the sun, it’s always beaming down on us. When I open up and choose a loving relationship with God, his love penetrates my heart, directs my mind to truth, and guides my every step securely. A renowned Jesuit priest, Pedro Arrupe, once wrote: “Nothing is more practical than finding God, that is, falling in love with God in a quite final and absolute way….What you are in love with, what seizes your imagination, will affect everything. It will decide what you will get out of bed for, what you do with your evenings, how you will spend your weekend, what you read, whom you know, what breaks your heart, and what amazes you with joy and gratitude.” Fall in love and stay in love with God, and it will decide everything. Love God with all your heart, mind, and soul—a very smart decision.
Help me, Lord, to love you with all my mind, all my soul, and all my strength. Amen.
—from the book Three Minutes with God: Reflections and Prayers to Encourage, Inspire, and Motivate
by Monsignor Frank Bognanno